And then they have
had the advantage of Woolwich or Sandhurst, or Chobham, and are dabs
at a bivouac, grand hands with an axe--cut a hop-pole down in half a
day amost, and in the other half stick it into the ground. I don't
make no doubt in three or four days they could build a wigwam to sleep
in, and one night out of four under cover is a great deal for an
amateur hunter, though it ain't the smallest part of a circumstance to
the Crimea. As, it is, if a stick ain't too big for a fire, say not
larger than your finger, they can break it over their knee, sooner
than you could cut it with a hatchet for your life, and see how soon
it's in a blaze. Take them altogether, they are a killing party of
coons them, never miss a moose if they shoot out of an Indian's gun,
and use a silver bullet.
"Well, then, the young ladies are equipped so nicely--they have uglies
to their bonnets, the only thing ugly about them, for at a distance
they look like huge green spectacles. They are very useful in the
forest, for there is a great glare of the sun generally under trees;
or else they have green bonnets, that look like eagle's skins; thin
dresses, strong ones are too heavy, and they don't display the beauty
of nature enough, they are so high, and the whole object of the party
is to admire that. Their walking shoes are light and thin, they don't
fatigue you like coarse ones, and India-rubbers are hideous, they make
your feet look as if they had the gout; and they have such pretty,
dear little aprons, how rural it looks altogether--they act a day in
the woods to admiration.
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